Our Mission

An individual can go missing anytime, anywhere, regardless of their age, experience or condition. People do not go out expecting to get lost, but in our province of dense forest, it is easy to get
turned around or take a wrong path. New Brunswick's varied climate and terrain can create scenarios where a lost person’s situation can very quickly turn grave, especially if they are
unprepared. When an individual is reported missing, time is a crucial factor. Every day a person is lost, chances of survival decrease. Policing agencies determine when there is
enough information available to organize a search.

This is where YSSR's expertise comes into play.

Once activated by the police, YSSR’s search operations begin. Using a variety of search methodologies and tactics, our overhead management team directs our search teams out into areas where the
lost subject has a high probability of being found. Our members search in all types of terrain: down valleys and up mountains, through swamps, along shorelines, and through thick brush. We respond
regardless of the weather - from the most humid days of summer to the most frigid nights of winter.

A successful search is much more than simply sending a large group of people out to search an area.The training our team receives helps to prepare our members for a huge variety of search
situations, while ensuring that everyone sent out returns safely Our members commit their time, resources, and unique skills to do their best to ensure a sucessful search outcome.

With a lost person, our goal is always the same: Bring them home safely.

Our Team

York Sunbury Search & Rescue (YSSR) is 1 of 10 ground search and rescue (SAR) teams in the Province of New Brunswick. YSSR is a charitable organization, and is 100% volunteer based--we do not
have any paid positions. We currently have approximately 90 operational members. Our dedicated volunteers participate in ongoing training to obtain and hone skills necessary to respond to
searches. Our team is activated by policing agencies, and is available to respond 24/7/365.

Executive Committee

Greg Whittier, President

Richard Tully, Vice-President

Wayne MacKay, Secretary

Caroline Paquin, Treasurer

Provincial Representatives

Wayne Mackay, Rep

Shantelle Leslie, Rep

Search Commander

Patrick Arseneault

Membership Committee

Heather McNeill, Chair

Fundraising Committee

Jamie Young, Chair

Training Committee

Darleen Steeves, Chair

Public Relations Committee

Greg Smith, Chair

Equipment Committee

Matt Cassidy, Chair

Transportation Committee

George Derrah, Chair

Hug A Tree

Eric Ferguson

Training

YSSR members receive regular training in a wide variety of fields related to searching and safety. All members are excepted to participate in the majority of training to help prepare them for the situations they may face while out in the field. We also encourage members to develop their teaching and presentation skills to help
provide other training oppurtunities to their fellow teammates.

A selection of training offered includes:

Junior Program

Our Junior Program is designed for teens aged 16 and 17 and is paving the way for to the next generation of Search and Rescue professionals.

Junior members participate in the same activities as other members: training, meetings, fundraising activities and searches. The only difference is that participation in searches is limited to
supporting the team from the Command Post area. In this support role, junior members gain knowledge and understanding of YSSR's search operations. When they turn 18 they are uniquely prepared for
active field taskings.

The aim of this program is to recruit and train young members, to expose them to others who are passionate about community involvement and groom our next generation of searchers early. This
program provides members with excellent team building, survival and leadership skills.

Fundraising & Community Involvement

As a charitable, and 100% volunteer organization, YSSR relies heavily on the generous support and contributions of those in our community. We are always looking for indviduals, businesses and
oranizations that are interested in helping us with our funding needs.

Every spring, YSSR hosts its annual Sugarbush fundraiser at Kings Landing Historical Settlement. This event, spread out over two weekends in March, provides the majority of our team's operating
funding. For 26 years, thousands of people have come out yearly to support YSSR and ensure that we can continue to help those in need.

Throughout the year, members also aids other organizations in Fredericton, including providing traffic marshaling for events such as Harvest Jazz and Blues, the Fredericton Marathon, the
Duncan-Hadley marathon and the Push-For-Your-Tush fundraiser.

Do you love fundraising, have a heart for Search and Rescue, but shy away from searching? We also have members solely dedicated to the Fundraising. This branch of the organization is designed for
those who want to volunteer with YSSR, but may not be able to be on call 24/7/365, to commit time for training or to participate in the more physically demanding side of volunteering with our
team.

Working on the Fundraising Committee, these members assist with our ongoing fundraising events and help us find new and exciting ways to generate funds.

YSSR would like to thank some of the following companies and organizations for their support: